FanHouse Michael Henderson

The NBA has opened its training camp in New York for replacement officials, a group that includes 35 with experience in the NBA's Development League, six with WNBA experience and two that worked in the NBA before being fired in recent years.

Those numbers are based on the list of 44 officials -- obtained by FanHouse -- who had agreed to be part of the camp. (You can find the list, which has not been confirmed by the NBA, at the end of this post.)

The league has been preparing to open both its exhibition schedule next month and the regular season with replacements after contract talks with the referees' union hit a stalemate.

Joel Litvin, NBA president of league and basketball operations, said Tuesday that the league is much better prepared to open the season with replacement officials than it was in 1995, the last time they were used.

The NBA last week locked out its regular referees after failing to negotiate a new contract with their union, turning instead to replacements that will begin training camp Thursday in New York.

"This is a far different situation than it was the last time,'' Litvin told FanHouse. "Frankly, this is not the easiest situation to be in, but we've got the structure in place to make it a smoother transition.''

With the NBA and the referees' union unable to come to an agreement, the league has scheduled a training camp to get replacement officials ready for the upcoming season.

This news is not particularly interesting. But one of the names on the invite list certainly is.

Michael Henderson was an official who was at the center of a controversy between the NBA and its referees' union back in 2004. Oh, and he was previously fired by the league. But guess what? Henderson's going to the training camp for replacement refs, which is set to begin in New York next Thursday.